E3 2009: Mafia II Preview

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The Fat Man's gonna die.

By Hilary Goldstein

Sad news: Mafia II isn't coming until early 2010. Good news: It's looking like it will be worth the wait.

2K Czech's mobster epic covers ten years in the life of would be Goodfella Vito. The E3 demo is set a few hours into the game, when Vito is earning his way into the organization. It's February 1945 in Empire City. The world is at war and the city is blanketed in snow. War propaganda is plastered on the side of every building and Empire's citizens have had to make sacrifices for the good fight. Empire City is a large open world full of life.

The mission is to kill the Fat Man. No, not Santa Claus. The Fat Man owns a distillery on mob turf, but has refused to give kick backs. And you know what happens to folks who don't pay protection money to the mob. Your job is to send the Fat Man a message (with a bullet to his brain). Assisting you are Henry and Joe. Henry's the made man and leader of this small troupe, with Joe as the upper-and-comer with dreams of money and fame.

The gang has set up an ambush for the Fat Man in a window overlooking the distillery. Vito mans the mounted gun and Henry and Joe have their own Tommy guns for additional firepower. When the Fat Man's entourage pulls up, Vito fires. The machinegun is incredibly powerful, laying down the Fat Man's hired guns in seconds. It tears through the Fat Man's car, blowing it to hell. The Fat Man escapes, though, running into the distillery.

What ensues is a lengthy chase sequence through the distillery. There's nothing here that we haven't seen before. Mafia II utilizes a very familiar cover system and battles are mostly stop-and-pop affairs. The combat looks cool, but it's not particularly original. What stands out are the numerous cut-scenes, which pop up throughout the mission. The story elements are strong and the presentation is certainly Mafia II's big selling point.

Visually, Mafia II has taken a step up from the previous build we saw. The frame rate still dips at times, but is more consistent than before and there are some nice visual effects (like when the Fat Man sets the distillery ablaze).

Eventually Vito and crew track down the Fat Man. Henry steps to him and shoves his gun in the Fat Man's mouth. A shot is fired, but the Fat Man is still alive. He holds a small pistol in his hand. Henry crumples to the ground as Vito and Joe step up to the Fat Man and take him down.

Henry needs a medic quickly. He'll die if he doesn't get to a doctor soon. You help Henry out of the distillery, fighting more enemies along the way and avoiding the rubble of the burning building. Once outside, you need to drive quickly to the "family" doctor. Since the E3 demo lacks a HUD, it's unclear if there will be a timer on screen. But regardless, you can't waste too much time getting Henry to a doctor. This is made more difficult by the icy roads and cops giving chase.

Just as the trio appear to be escaping, they run into a roadblock. Trapped on a bridge by the cops, it appears Vito has nowhere to go but jail or the grave. And where he goes must remain a mystery for now, because that's where the demo ends.

Mafia II looks like a worthwhile sequel. Hopefully the extra development time allows 2K Czech to lock down the framerate and add some fun things to do in the sandbox world.